The present invention relates to thermal insulation materials and, move specifically, to a method of making thermal insulation packages or packets and the packages thus produced.
In recent years, it has been widely recognized that the conservation of fuel as used for heating dwellings and other structures can be materially enhanced where the structures are assembled with adequate insulation. However, in both existing and new structures, it has not always been practical to install suitable insulation either due to the difficult in gaining access to the surfaces to be insulated or the unavailability of suitable insulating materials which can be accommodated in an existing structural plan.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new method of making a type of thermal insulation package and a novel package itself which is characterized by the flexibility of the package, thus rendering it easily adoptable to a wide variety of structural installations. Further, the present invention makes use of scrap materials that result in the cutting and formation of expanded foam panels thus further resulting in a conservation of energy and materials. Additionally, fire retarding means are employed to render the package safe for use in practically all structures.
In summary, the present invention utilizes commercially available sheet material consisting of a layer of kraft paper, a layer of fiberglass webbing and a layer of aluminum foil as the outer wall of the container. The three layers are adhesively secured together and the inner layer of the container, which is the side of the kraft paper opposite the fiberglass webbing, is coated with a heat-activated adhesive, a number of types of which are commercially available on the market. According to the present invention, it is important that the kraft paper be impregnated with a fire-retardant composition such as Surlyn (Dupont trade name) and neoprene waterbased adhesive with Hologins so that the resulting insulation package will comply with fire regulations.
According to the method of the present invention, the sheet material, as noted above, is first formed into a long tube by overlapping two edges of the material and heating them to close the tube. The tubular section is then cut into a plurality of smaller tubular segments and one end of each of smaller segments has its edges heat sealed. Each of the containers is then filled with an expanded foam material such as polystyrene pellets. Another fire retardant means such as a quantity of a hydrate compound is also placed in the containers. The package is completed by closing the open end, again by heat sealing.
By this method, a very inexpensive insulation package capable of being installed in a broad range of structural environments is obtained. Moreover, the packages can be inexpensively manufactured in any desired size to accommodate the broad range of end uses. Most importantly, the package is made permanently fire-retardant which is a primary concern when using polystyrene pellets as a component of the insulation. The metal foil and fiberglass, as well as the adhesive, will give enhanced structural integrity and reinforcement to the package and will also act as as a vapor barrier which is important to the insulating function.